Posts Tagged ‘New York Rangers’

Does anyone else think this is either going to make Glen Sather look like a genius or an idiot?

Truth be told, I’m glad to be rid of the distraction that has been Marian Gaborik. From his frequent injury troubles, to his often inflated contract demands, Gaborik has been nothing but a thorn in the Wild’s side over the last few seasons and, I am glad to say, that he is now the New York Rangers’ problem.

Truth be told, this could work out very, very well for the Rags. When at his best, Gaborik is a dynamic winger that can score with the best of them. The Rangers witnessed that first hand. When at his worst, however, Gaborik is oftentimes invisible in all three zones. The biggest problem with the enigma that is Marian Gaborik? He’s at his worst more often than not — or at least he was with Minnesota.

Don’t get me wrong. Marian Gaborik is a fantastic player and has the potential to be a star in this league. But $7.5M for one extremely good season? I don’t buy it, not one bit. If he’s healthy (and he claims he is), he’ll notch 75-85 points for the Rangers…And I doubt he’ll get much more. Don’t get me wrong…That’s fantastic. It’s certainly something that the Wild could use on their roster. But the problem is that now, he has no excuses. He’s had surgery on both of his hips — that should take care of his groin. He’s no longer playing under Jacques Lemaire — he can no longer fall back on a defensive system as a crutch. He’s got support around him — Chris Drury and company should help him shoulder the load.

Will Gaborik flourish or wilt?

I, personally, think that he’s a 80-85 point player, not the 100+ point player everyone seems to think he is.

First off, I’d like to thank you all for bearing with me over the last few days. My seven month old daughter had come down with something which necessitated my being gone for a few days. But never to fear…It’s the off season, so not a whole heck of a lot occurred over those last few days!

Niklas Backstrom
It’s been a big couple weeks for the Finnish netminder. First, his surgery was a huge success, leading Dr. Philippon to conclude that Backstrom will be ready to go in full in about 12 weeks. I don’t know all of the details, but apparently the cartilage damage was much less than the doctor had originally thought and the issues with Backstrom’s hip have been corrected by the surgery. Keep in mind that this is the same surgery that Marian Gaborik underwent during the season.

In addition to a successful surgery, Niklas Backstrom also became the third member of the Wild’s organization to be named a finalist for a voted-upon NHL end of the year award. The other two? Jacques Lemaire and Wes Walz for the Jack Adams and Selke trophies respectively. This is not the first hardware that Backstrom has won as a member of the Wild. In the ’06-’07 season, his rookie season, he walked away with the Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award for the league’s best save percentage and teamed with Manny Fernandez, winning the William M. Jennings Trophy, for the team with the least goals against.

Backstrom will have a tough time winning this award, however, as he will be going up against Boston’s Tim Thomas and Columbus’s Steve Mason.

My personal thoughts on this is that Backstrom will come in second in the voting. Backstrom was certainly the Wild’s best player, and Josh Harding’s 3-9-1 record on the season certainly helps Backstrom’s cause, but let’s not forget that Harding posted extremely impressive stats during those 13 games as well. The way I look at it is like this:

Without Mason, the Jackets miss the playoffs AND are likely to have a lottery pick in the top six.

Without Backstrom, the Wild are likely to have a lottery pick in the top ten.

Without Thomas, the Bruins probably wouldn’t have won the conference, but still likely would have made the playoffs.

To me, what that equates to is that Mason will get the Calder-Vezina sweep this season (and, honestly, I think there’s a pretty good argument for him getting the Hart as well, but that’s neither here nor there.) Backstrom had a phenomenal season and, let’s be honest…If the Wild make the playoffs, there’s no question that he’s up there for the frontrunner. The bottom line is that, as important as he was this season to our team, Mason was just a touch more important in their run.

Aeros Advance to Round TwoLeave it to the farm team of a Minnesota team to take every opportunity to give their fans more hockey. Houston won game seven against the Peoria Rivermen 5-2 on the strength of goals by Krys Kolanos, Marco Rosa and Maxim Noreau as well as empty netters by Corey Locke and Mitch Love. Goaltender Anton Khudobin was credited with the win, saving 19 or 21 shots.

Houston advances now to play the first seeded Milwaukee Admirals in what should prove to be an intriguing match up; at least from a front office point of view. Milwaukee is the farm team for Nashville, making it Craig Leipold’s current farm team vs. his former farm team. In other words, two candidates for the Minnesota Wild GM position (Tom Lynn and Paul Fenton) fighting it out for GM supremacy, though I doubt this series would be the deciding factor in one or the other getting the job.

Houston has three of the top 20 scoring leaders thus far for the playoffs, with Corey Locke third in scoring (4-5-9), Matt Beaudoin sixth (2-6-8) and Krys Kolanos sixteenth (2-4-6). Meanwhile, Khudobin is trucking along with a 4-3 record, a 2.45 GAA and a .906 Sv Pct, as well as one shutout. The most interesting stat? Corey Lock has 24 penalty minutes. Anyone care to explain that one to me??

Wild Sign Carson McMillianThe Wild also have signed another of their 2007 draft picks to an entry level deal. Carson McMillian of the Calgary Hitmen has been signed to a three-year, entry level deal. McMillian was in his fourth season with the Hitmen this season and recorded career highs in goals (31), assists (41), points (72) and penalty minutes (93). On top of that, he added seven game winners, five powerplay tallies and four shorties. It will be interesting to see how McMillian fares in Houston next season, as he is certainly an intriguing player for this organization (one that has rarely seen success at drafting in the later rounds).

Seventh HeavenThere are two game sevens on the docket tonight and, honestly, does it get ANY better than a Game Seven in the NHL Playoffs? It’s win or go home for four teams and it’s going to be I-N-T-E-N-S-E!!! Now I typically shy away from predictions (for those unable to pick up on sarcasm through text, I’ll note it here), but I feel inclined to share my views on these two games.

2) Washington v. 7) NY Rangers – I made the observation a few days ago that, if any team is equipped to come back from a 3-1 defecit, the Capitals were certainly one of them. It took a few games for the Caps to realize that they can’t shoot at Lundqvist’s mattresses (and for Boudreau to realize that he can’t have Theodore in nets), but once the Caps got it figured out and started executing their gameplan, they started rolling. Torts will be back on the bench for the Rangers after his Game 5 hissy fit and, if I were a Caps fan, I wouldn’t relish sitting behind him because he’ll likely be packing for this one.

The Rangers Win If: They score first. If they can do that, they can tighten up around Lundqvist and clog up the neutral zone. In their three wins, the Rangers have proven that they can give the Caps fits when they do this. The Caps offensive stars need room to skate in order to be effective, and if the Rangers are protecting a lead, they can afford to tighten up and not give the Caps the space to skate

The Capitals Win If: They get to Lundqvist early and often. Not necessarily score, but pepper him with shots. He’s been pulled in two straight games and they can’t afford to let him gain any confidence. Crash the net, get in his way, do anything and everything they can to disrupt his game. If that means buzzing him and taking a goalie interference penalty early on, that’s what they have to do. Get in his head and this one’s over.

My Prediction: Washington 4 New York 2

(3) New Jersey Devils v. 6) Carolina Hurricanes – This series has been the epitome of even. Neither team has won more than one game in a row and only two of the six games have been decided by more than one goal. At the onset of the series, everyone expected this to come down to goaltending and, tonight, it will. Both Ward and Brodeur will be at their best and this game will be very, very tightly played.

The Devils Win If: Their offense shows up early. This team has an absolutely explosive offense. The problem is that they have been extremely inconsistent this series. One game, they’ll look like absolute world beaters; the next, they look like they couldn’t find the back of the net if it were the size of the broad side of a barn. If they come out of the gates ready to skate hard and ready to play, they’ll gain the advantage over Carolina. If they falter, though, Carolina will exploit this.

The ‘Canes Win If: Cam Ward plays like he did in Games 5 and 6. Ward is the catalyst for this team. If he’s playing well, this team gains confidence and can steamroll opponents. This team does not have the defense to protect Ward if he’s playing poorly and that can lead to a collapse if he is. A couple big saves early and Ward’s confidence will go through the roof. If this happens, it gets exponentially harder for the Devils to take ahold of this game and get any sort of momentum.

Okay, okay, so the reference has probably been beaten to death every single season for every sport since Mora’s famous outburst. The fact remains, however, that the playoffs are bearing down upon us. While the field has yet to be set, we do have a pretty good idea of who is going to be in the big show. We’ll be rating the potential playoff match ups on our newly patented Mora-Meter. One Mora would be the equivalent of watching the World Series of Gin Rummy played on ESPN (my guess as to what the next program to move into the Worldwide Leader instead of hockey) while five Mora’s would be a series that would lead to so much excitement that it would drive Jim Mora into a frenzy that would leave him frothing at the mouth.

So here you have it. The playoff match ups, if the playoffs started today, complete with the new and improved Mora-Meter!

Western Conference#1 San Jose Sharks v. #8 Nashville PredatorsAnalysis: The Nashville Predators are like that kid in high school that you never wanted to hang out with, but always somehow ended up getting invited wherever you went. Over the last few seasons the Preds have been the whipping boy of the NHL, more specifically from Canadian fans, about how southern expansion just flat out doesn’t work. The bottom line is, however, that the Preds continue to put a good package on the ice and continue to make the playoffs no matter what. In this series, they’d be running up against a Sharks team that will be hellbent to prove that they can perform in the playoffs. I don’t envy anyone in the position that the Preds are in, but if anyone can pull off a first round upset, it’s them. This could be an intriguing series; however, it could just as easily be a case of the Sharks doing their thing and the Predators hanging on for dear life.Mora-Meter:

#2 Detroit Red Wings v. #7 Anaheim Ducks
Analysis: The last time these two teams met in the playoffs, the Ducks bounced the Wings en route to a Stanley Cup Championship. Can anyone think of anything more intriguing than the last two Stanley Cup Champions facing off and in the first round no less? The biggest swing in this match up is that the Ducks still play like they’re the class bully, while the Red Wings bully teams by skating circles around them. What makes this series even more interesting is the fact that the Wings and the Ducks quite simply don’t like each other. Lest we forget Chris Pronger attempting to remove Tomas Holmstrom’s head from his body, amongst other things transpiring between the two teams that cultivated the bad blood in their last post season meeting. The Red Wings always seem to be a step ahead of the NHL; however, this season, their goaltending could be their Achillies Heel and with a potent Ducks powerplay, it would make for some great playoff hockey.Mora-Meter:

#3 Vancouver Canucks v. #6 Columbus Blue Jackets
Analysis: Is it bad that there’s a large part of me that really wants Vancouver to slide down so that Calgary takes this spot? I mean, let’s be honest. I’m a Wild fan. I have no vested interest in the playoffs to mention at the moment (maybe by the last game of the season…A guy can dream, right?) so I don’t really care who wins the division, other than the fact that I just want to watch an entertaining playoff series. To me, there would be no more interesting series than a Flames/Jackets and Canucks/’Hawks series, because the teams just don’t like each other. But I digress. In this one, honestly, there’s not really any appreciable storylines to speak of, nor do either of the teams play extremely exciting hockey. On one side, the Blue Jackets are almost 100% playoff un-tested (save for a few players), while the ‘Nucks have some star players with a propensity to do a disappearing act in the playoffs. All of this adds up to a series that could prove to be pretty uneventful; though worth watching to watch how the Jackets respond to playoff hockey.Mora-Meter:

#4 Chicago Blackhawks v. #5 Calgary Flames
Analysis: As much as I would love to watch the ‘Hawks fight play the ‘Nucks, I think this series would be extremely entertaining to watch. First, you have a rematch in net of the ’03-’04 Cup Finals (Kipper v. Bulin), then you’ve got two teams with some very dynamic players (Kane, Toews and Havlat v. Iginla, Cammalleri and Jokinen) and finally you’ve got two teams with some fantastic defensemen (Seabrook and Keith v. Phaneuf and Regher). This could become the best series in the first round if it stays this way. Plus, if Phaneuf keeps playing the way he has been, you could find yourself looking at a very formidable “sloppy” second defensive pairing of Phaneuf and Leopold. Sorry. Couldn’t resist.Mora-Meter:

Eastern Conference
#1 Boston Bruins v. #8 Montreal Canadiens
Analysis: How’s this for a role reversal? The exact match up of last season’s first round, just with home ice turned around. If both teams are on their game, this could be an exciting series to watch. The problem is that both teams have battled inconsistency since the All Star Break. The biggest thing to look forward to, however, is that these two teams always get up to play one another. Look at last season’s first round. A seven-game slugfest that was probably the most entertaining series in all the playoffs. Plus, there’s also always the chance that you could hear Jack Edwards’ maniacal laugh again. That in and of itself is reason enough to watch. All of this equals one amazingly entertaining first round series.Mora-Meter:

#2 Washington Capitals v. #7 New York Rangers
Analysis: Honestly, this is another that I wish was a little different, but beggars can’t be choosers, right? This one, well, this could be interesting. On one end you’ve got the Caps’ unbelievable offens and on the other you’ve got the Rangers’ unbelievable goaltender. Coach John Tortorella has helped the Rangers find their game again; however, can he put a stop to the attack of the Capitals? On the other side of things, you’ve got the Rangers’ aneimic offense squaring off against the Caps’ inconsistent goalie. This could either be a very high scoring series or a series where you get nothing at all. Any series pitting a high powered offense against a solid goaltender, however, can prove to be a fun series to watch.Mora-Meter:

#3 New Jersey Devils v. #6 Carolina Hurricanes
Analysis: Ok. So can someone please explain to me if the Devils are just coasting to the playoffs or if something is going on and when, exactly, Lou is going to place himself behind the bench yet again? Alright. I feel better now. Now that I’ve said my piece, this could be a very one sided series if the Devils don’t right the ship and quick. The ‘Canes have had success against Newark’s finest this season, and if the Devils back into the playoffs this could get ugly quick. Looking at the potential match up, the ‘Canes match up quite nicely against the Devil and have the hot hand. Both teams have a solid defense and an under rated offense. There should be some very tightly contested games in this series and some good, physical play.Mora-Meter:

#4 Philadelphia Flyers v. #5 Pittsburgh PenguinsAnalysis: The Broadstreet Bullies against the NHL’s wunderkid. I don’t see how it could get much better than this; a rematch of last season’s Eastern Conference Finals. The Flyers were ran out of town by the Pens in the ECF last season, but this is also a Flyers team that has gained a lot more character since then, not in turnover of players but just in experience. The big question mark for both teams is definitely in net and, in all honesty, that could lead to a very entertaining series. These two teams are also division rivals and flat out don’t like each other. That’s good enough in my book!Mora-Meter:

So there you have it. My thoughts on the current playoff picture.

Also, coming next week will be the first intrim show of Wild Nation. Join myself and Nick in New York next week as we talk about all things Wild! We will have a time and date set for our first show sometime this weekend.

The site has been vacant as of late and there is most certainly a reason for this. The past few days, I have been in New Jersey being hosted by the venerable owner of Hockey Primetime, Sam Woo. A friend and I flew out for the Devils/Wild game on Friday night and I must say, I was pleasantly surprised.

All of the buzz that I have heard about Devils fans was, quite frankly, that they were some of the worst fans in the NHL. I had heard to no end that they were dispassionate about their team and that when they did get riled up enough to actually go to the games that they were rude, loud mouthed and quite inconsiderate to visiting fans.

What I found, however, was that this was a group of fans that were passionate to no end about their team. The arena, while not filled, was not as empty as you are always led to believe. The upper areas of the arena were full, for the most part, and the majority of the seats open in the lower bowl were open in the Fire and Ice Lounge sections. Why? I can think of about 250 reasons why, as the price for those seats is astronomical.

As far as the characterization of the fans? Absolutely untrue. Yes, all fans have their bad apples, but the New Jersey fans I ran into were extremely friendly and extremely considerate. I was wearing my Wild gear, as I do to every game, and I got fans walking up to me asking questions about the team to no end. Asking about Gaborik’s return, about the team in general, everything. On top of that, any cheers that were focused at the Wild fans there were all done in good fun. There was no animosity towards the fans in the least.

There were also people telling me about the town of Newark and about the area surrounding the arena. I was hearing that the town and area around the arena was extremely dangerous. Again, I did not see that one bit. The area around the arena was no worse than in downtown Minneapolis or downtown St. Paul. Common sense should be exhibited but I, for one, never felt in danger in the least.

The bottom line is this. New Jersey fans are getting a bad rap. The team is a fantastic team with fans that are passionate about them. I was wearing my colors proudly and cheering on my team proudly (though there wasn’t too terribly much to cheer for in the 4-0 loss) and was met with nothing but the acceptance of knowledgable, friendly hockey fans. There is no doubt in my mind that I will return to Newark in the future to catch another hockey game and to spend some more time amongst some of the best fans in the NHL.

Wild Notes

The injury to Mikko Koivu has definitely thrown a wrench in the Wild’s postseason plans. With the loss of Koivu, the Wild’s season’s hopes lie squarely on the fragile “lower body” of Marian Gaborik. With Koivu out, Gaborik will be looked towards to replace him offensively. Whether or not this is something that he can do remains to be seen, but the hope for now is that he can return as soon as possible to help this team make a push for the playoffs.

More news on the injury front for the Wild; Brent Burns is still sidelined with concussion-like symptoms. It’s hard enough when one of your top players is out, but having multiple star players on the shelf is just flat out demoralizing and could be the kiss of death for this team.

On the up side, these injuries are giving us good, long looks at players that could be in the line up next season. Peter Olvecky has performed well in the absence of Gaborik and will need to continue to do so in the absence of Koivu. He has gotten time on the power play (which, in Lemaire’s book, means he’s doing something right) and has been placed on the ice in increasingly more important situations. John Scott is another that is slowly working his way up the depth chart. While not as offensively skilled as the other Wild defensemen, Scott is a fantastic physical presence on the blueline and is playing fantastic hockey at the moment.

The Wild have a crucial road trip coming up this week. They have back-to-back games in New York (of the Rangers and Islanders variety) followed by back-to-back games in Calgary and Edmonton. This road trip will likely be the determining factor as to whether or not this team makes the playoffs. If they can come away with 5 or 6 points on this trip, they will be sitting pretty. Less than 4 points on this trip and I would wager that the playoffs aren’t anything more than a pipedream.

Finally, as you can see on the side bar, the Clutter-Watch 2009 is getting close. Cal Clutterbuck, the Wild’s resident bowling ball, is just ten hits away from breaking the NHL hits record in his rookie season. While his stats may not be as impressive as other rookies, there are few other rookies this season that have made the impact that Clutterbuck has. So remember…You can’t spell Calder without Cal!

It’s that time of the year. The time when every point matters. The time where the difference between losing in regulation and losing in overtime could mean a playoff spot. Both conferences are jam-packed, especially towards the bottom, so we’re going to keep an eye on potential first round match ups and even do a little prognostication as to how the teams match up. We’ll also keep an eye on who’s on the outside looking in.

And here…we…go…

Eastern Conference(1) Boston Bruins vs. (8) Florida Panthers – This is a pretty intriguing match up for the first round. You’ve got the Bruins, who have been struggling recently against the Panthers who have been one of the biggest surprises of the season. The Bruins struggles have been in large part to the disappearing acts of Michael Ryder and Blake Wheeler, as well as some inconsistency with the rest of their offense and the Panthers are a scrappy team that may thrive on the close quarters and pressure of the playoffs. All told, though, it’s hard to think that the Bruins couldn’t pull out a seven game series in this one. Advantage Boston.

(2) New Jersey Devils vs. (7) Carolina Hurricanes – If I’m the Devils, Carolina is the absolute last team I would want to face in the first round. The ‘Canes are buzzing right now and the acquisition of Erik Cole has re-energized Eric Staal. On the other hand, the Devils have a fresh Martin Brodeur and one of the most dynamic group of forwards in the league. This series could be an instant classic, with both teams having unlimited amounts of energy as well as fresh and re-energized superstars. Brodeur ultimately gives the Devils the edge in just about any series, but this one would be fun to watch. Advantage New Jersey.

(3) Washington Capitals vs. (6) Pittsburgh Penguins – Is it just me or would this be the NHL marketing department’s dream come true? I can’t think of a more compelling match up for the first round and the only thing that I can think of that would be better is if the two teams met in the Conference Finals. The Pens are the hottest team in the league, while the Caps are, well, the Caps. The animosity between these two teams has continued to grow throughout the season and a playoff series between the two would send it over the top. This is also a series that could go either way. It’s hard to pick a clear cut winner in this one. Draw.

(4) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (5) Montreal Canadiens – To round out the first round, a Philly/Montreal series? This could ultimately be some pretty exciting hockey in the first round. The Flyers were the team that knocked the Habs out of the first round last season and don’t think that the Habs or their fans have forgotten it. This is another series that could make for an instant classic; mostly because of how well these two teams match up against one another. Looking at this, it’s very hard to pick a team that would have a distinct advantage, but Philly’s physical game could easily put them over the top. Advantage Philadelphia.

On The Outside Looking In: With just 15 games remaining in the season, a big part of the Eastern Conference is already eliminated (not necessarily mathmatically, but realistically). The two that remain in contention are the Buffalo Sabres and the New York Rangers. Of those two teams, the Rangers have the most realistic chance of supplanting the Panthers in the 8th seed, seeing as how they are one point behind. Both teams have struggled recently, with the Sabres losing Ryan Miller to injury and the Rangers having to be broken into a new coach, so it’s likely that the way the playoffs sit now could easily be how they sit come the end of the regular season.

Western Conference(1) San Jose Sharks vs. (8) Nashville Predators – Once again, the Preds are making a hard charge at the playoffs late in the season. Meanwhile, the Sharks are, well, the Sharks. They have struggled lately, but are still a strong team and, though he has had a sub-par season by his standars, Evgeni Nabokov is one of the top goalies in the league. It is pretty hard to think that the Preds could give the Sharks a run for their money as they did with the Wings last season, but if the stars align, anything is possible in the playoffs. Advantage San Jose.

(2) Detroit Red Wings vs. (7) Edmonton Oilers – The last time the Wings and Oilers met in the first round, the Wings were bounced unceremoniously en route to the Oilers magical run to the Cup finals. Don’t expect that to happen this time. The Red Wings are one of the most talented teams in the league and, despite not having a designated “enforcer,” have a great deal of sand paper on their roster. Meanwhile, this Oilers team is nowhere near as gritty as the team that contended for the Cup. The Wings should have no problem in this series. Advantage Detroit.

(3) Calgary Flames vs. (6) Columbus Blue Jackets – This series is a crap shoot in that there’s really no telling how the majority of Columbus’s roster is going to react to playoff hockey. They could take to it like a fish to water and fly, or they could flounder. Looking at the Flames roster, however, it’s very difficult to bet against this team as they have a roster that is even better than the last time they reached the finals. As hard as it is to discount a team coached by Ken Hitchcock, you can’t look past the talent and depth of the Flames roster. Advantage Calgary.

(4) Chicago Blackhawks vs. (5) Vancouver Canucks – This is an interesting series. The Blackhawks are certainly more talented, but have limited playoff experience, while the Canucks have multiple players on their roster that have been involved in deep Cup runs. The wildcard for the Canucks, however, is Roberto Luongo. Time and again he has proven that he’s one of the best in the game, but he’s also only played in the playoffs once (though he was dazzling). Ultimately, you’ve got to believe that the ‘Hawks talent would win out of the ‘Nucks experience in a seven game series. Advantage Chicago.

On the Outside Looking In: There are four teams within three points of the playoffs and and one more within four. The Wild, Stars and Ducks all are within one point of 7th, the Blues are just two points back from them and the Kings are just one back from the Blues. In a tight playoff race, the extra points can make or break a season. The team that could have the best shot of squeaking in is the Wild. They hold a game in hand over both Dallas and Anaheim as well as Nashville and they hold the tiebreaker over Edmonton. The Wild are a good team mired by inconsistency and they will be getting their most dangerous offensive weapon back soon. It’s no stretch to think that they could make a solid run at the playoffs in the last weeks of the season. Both the Ducks and the Stars have been inconsistent at best of late, while the Blues and Kings have been streaky as well. If one of these five teams finds any modicum of consistency, they could easily streak into the playoffs.

The Red Wings should be getting a shot in the arm soon (as if they need it). Homer is back for the Wings and Marian Hossa should be returning soon.

Wild Road Tripper has a good look at the Wild’s victory last night over the Anaheim Ducks at Hitting the Post.

Speaking of the Wild, Hockey Wilderness has a nice e-mail exchange between a disenfranchised former season ticket holder and Wild owner Craig Leipold. Kudos to Mr. Leipold for standing up for himself and for the team. I don’t necessarily know that I agree with the author’s sentiment about Mr. Leipold’s take on the team; after all, there really were no moves for the team to make at the deadline this season.

I’ll get to my thoughts on the Wild’s trade deadline in a little bit, but I figured that I would start with some of the NHL’s winners and losers of this trade deadline.

WinnersNew York Rangers: The Rangers snagged two big prizes in Derek Morris and Nik Antropov. Morris should help the team’s blueline, which has struggled for most of the year. Morris has consistently been approximately .5 point per game producer in his career (just a hair under) and is a physical player as well. He’s a minute eater, so he should help augment a Rangers blueline that has been very underwhelming this season. Antropov, on the other hand, has been a chronic underachiever in his career but he has started to come into his own over the past year or so. He’s big and he’s young and will help give the Rangers depth up the middle. He should also help take the pressure off of Brandon Dubinksy, who the team hopes can regain his early season form.

Boston Bruins: The Bruins added a cagey veteran in Mark Recchi and a very underrated defenseman in Steve Montador. Rex was having a resurgent season with the Lightning this season and has more playoff experience than most of the Boston roster combined. A proven performer, Recchi definitely makes this team harder to play against and gives them a proven playoff contributor as well. Montador isn’t anything flashy, but has really come into his own over the last two seasons and has supplemented his physical game with a good, solid puck-moving game as well. He’s been terrific for the Anaheim Ducks this season and there’s no reason to think that he won’t be able to slide right in on Boston’s blueline.

Calgary Flames: The Flames are easily the winners of D-Day in the NHL. This is a team that was already good and made themselves better by acquiring Jordan Leopold (be honest, a blueline of Leopold, Phaneuf, Regher and Sarich scares you just a little bit) and Olli Jokinen. Leopold was a huge part of Calgary’s cup run in the ’03-’04 playoffs and has really gotten a raw deal since leaving Calgary. He’s an extremely talented defenseman and knows the Flames quite well and should be an excellent fit on their blueline. Jokinen is more of a question mark, as some are questioning his locker room presence. Re-uniting the Finn with “Iron Mike” Keenan, however, might be the best thing that could happen to him and there are no doubts in my mind that he will be put in his place quite quickly.

Edmonton Oilers: Patrick O’Sullivan would have been prize enough (Gagner, Cogliano and O’Sullivan? Easily the best young line up in the game right now), but to add Ales Kotalik as well? Let’s just say that the Oilers just got a lot harder to beat and should be contending for the 5th and 6th seeds as opposed to the 7th and 8th seeds.

LosersMinnesota Wild: My thoughts on this will be in my next blog, so I’ll forego it for now.

Tampa Bay Lightning: The Lightning easily made some of the strangest moves of the day, further cementing their front office’s legacy of running the team like a fantasy hockey team. Question mark number one. Trading all of those players for Richard Petiot? Really? Question mark number two. Flipping Steve Eminger for Noah Welch? Wasn’t Eminger a big piece of the Matt Carle trade? Question mark number three. Mark Recchi didn’t find out that he’d been traded until he went on The Fourth Period and read it? Man…They need to take a good, long look at how they’re running their organization.

Anaheim Ducks: These were some interesting moves. The Ducks didn’t go into all-out sell mode, but didn’t go into all-out buy mode either, opting to just move role players for role players after acquiring their big prize of Ryan Whitney. Time will tell how this will work for them, but trading character players like Travis Moen and Kent Huskins could come back to bite them later on.